Firm and Business Registration
Formation and registration of firms, companies and other entities.
Practice area
Firm and Business Registration
Formation and registration of firms, companies and other entities.
This area has a detailed section with its own service pages. Go to Business Registration.
Understanding Firm and Business Registration
Registering a business is the visible part of a larger job. The registration produces a certificate; what determines how the business actually runs is the document behind it — the partnership deed, the LLP agreement, the articles — together with the agreements it will use with customers, suppliers and staff. A business that is registered but undocumented has done the easy half.
The structure chosen has consequences that are much easier to select than to change: who bears liability, what compliance follows, how a participant leaves, and how the business is taxed. This section deals with each form separately, and the choice between them is worth taking advice on before anything is filed, not after.
Matters covered and detailed guidance
- Partnership Firm
- Proprietorship
- LLP Registration
- Company Registration
- MSME / Udyam
- Deed and Registration Together
Documents to prepare
Bring the records that explain your situation. The precise documents depend on the facts; the following is a starting point.
- Agreements, deeds, notices or orders relevant to the matter
- A dated account of the events and the parties involved
- Correspondence, acknowledgements and payment records
- Earlier proceedings, filings and advice where available
- Original documents for verification when requested
How a matter is assessed
The first step is to identify the issue, the relevant documents and the result you need. The applicable law, available procedure, responsible authority and any time-sensitive requirements are then considered on those facts.
Advice, document preparation, correspondence and representation are different tasks. The scope of any engagement is discussed before work begins. No outcome can be promised, and an initial enquiry does not create an advocate–client relationship.
Common questions
Which structure should I choose?
It depends on how many people are involved, whether outside investment is contemplated, how much compliance you are prepared to carry and how liability should sit. Each form has consequences, and the tax position should be considered alongside the legal one before a choice is made.
Is registration by itself enough to start trading?
Rarely. A registration establishes the entity; trading generally also needs the governing document, the tax registrations applicable to the activity, a bank account in the entity's name and the agreements it will use. Which of those apply depends on the business.
How long does registration take and what does the government charge?
No period or fee is stated on this website. Government fees and processing depend on the form, the authority and the current position, and none of it is within anyone's control to promise. What is controlled is that the application is complete and consistent, which is what avoids avoidable delay.